Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have been amicable co-parenting goals since separating in 2015 and finalising their divorce in 2018.
Wherever Affleck was on the Jen cycle – together, not together, married, divorced – the two have remained pretty rock solid in their common commitment to raising their three kids. And for that steadiness, they’ve been largely left off the tabloid fodder table.
That was until recently, when footage emerged of the two enjoying a family paintball match with their son, Samuel, 13.
The headlines were instantly geared towards rumours of reconciliation, or the rekindling of some long-ignored and dormant flame, and to be fair, it is a relationship pipeline this brooding Ben is very familiar with. Heaven forbid two co-parents with three teenage children could just get along? In this economy?
Instead, photos of the ex-couple laughing, chatting and genuinely having a fun time, were dissected to feed the Bennifer (4.0?) beast that bounces between Lopez and Garner, depending on the Batman actor’s state of mind.
Of course scenes like this are always going to activate a pang of nostalgia for anyone invested in a celebrity couple’s relationship – albeit a platonic one.
Outlets from TMZ and People, to US Weekly reported on the “sparks flying” when Ben was spotted pulling a gun-toting Jennifer in for a brief hug, with some going so far as to call it “flirty exchange.”
Pap shots peering through the paintball walls picked up glimpses of a smiling Ben and laughing Jen, labelling their “tight hug” a moment of weakness for an affection-deprived Affleck.
Meanwhile, Page Six went harder than all of them, quoting a source who allegedly revealed that Ben “would love another chance” with his ex-wife, and “would definitely be open to giving things another shot with Jen if the timing is ever right.” Suffice to say – that time is not now.
Given Garner is in an actual romantic relationship with her partner John Miller, sources were also quick to shut down any reports otherwise, with a separate insider sharing: “The feeling is not mutual on Jen’s side. She’s happy with John and that’s just not where her head is at.
“She has a great co-parenting relationship with Ben, and that’s where things stand on her end at the moment.” So I guess that’s what’s going on – at least for now.
Both Affleck and Garner have given the people some real candid zingers over the years, with each sharing various insights into their relationship and its aftermath.
In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair one year after their split, Garner famously spoke about Affleck being the love of her life, and stating: “He’s the most brilliant person in any room, the most charismatic, the most generous. He’s just a complicated guy. I always say, ‘When his sun shines on you, you feel it.’ But when the sun is shining elsewhere, it’s cold. He can cast quite a shadow.”
Chilly times aside, these two seem to be perfectly well-suited to the co-parenting life and are all the better for it, so kudos to them!
